A 56-year-old woman was walking through a Chatham alley Thursday night when gunfire erupted around her, leaving her with a bullet wound to the leg and a 23-year-old stranger fleeing for her life nearby. Police say both women survived, but the shooting has left Area 2 detectives searching for a gunman who chased down his target and opened fire in a residential alleyway.
Shots Fired in the 8100 Block of South Maryland Avenue
The shooting happened at about 8:12 p.m. Thursday in the 8100 block of South Maryland Avenue, according to Chicago Sun-Times. Police told the outlet that the 56-year-old woman was walking through the alley when she heard a verbal altercation nearby and then saw a 23-year-old woman run from a nearby apartment complex. That is when, police said, a man pulled a gun and fired several shots at the younger woman as he chased her through the alley.
One of those rounds struck the 56-year-old bystander in the leg, according to police accounts relayed in the report. She was treated at the scene before being transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was listed in good condition. The 23-year-old woman, who police said was the man's target, suffered only a graze wound to her legs. She was also listed in good condition and refused medical treatment at the scene, per the same account.
Investigation Continues, No Arrests Reported
Area 2 detectives are investigating the shooting, the report notes. No further details on the identity of the gunman, a possible motive, or any recovered weapon have been released.
The Chatham alley shooting echoes another South Side incident from the same stretch of Maryland Avenue. In April 2025, three teenagers — a 13-year-old boy, a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl — were wounded in a drive-by shooting in the 7900 block of South Maryland Avenue, according to a separate Chicago Sun-Times report. In that case, a red SUV carrying two people approached and opened fire before fleeing, and all three victims were taken to Comer Children's Hospital in good condition. No one was arrested in that shooting, and it was also handled by Area 2 detectives. The two incidents remain separate cases more than a year apart, and the available reporting does not establish any broader pattern of shootings in the Chatham neighborhood.
Residents seeking broader context on crime trends in the area can consult the Chicago Office of Public Safety Administration's Summary Statistics tool, which tracks crime data by district, beat, ward and community area and is updated daily. The agency's CLEARMAP platform also offers interactive maps showing crime concentrations across longer timeframes for those tracking patterns citywide.
